


Reintroduction

by alice_pike



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist
Genre: Canon: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-29
Updated: 2012-03-29
Packaged: 2017-11-02 17:19:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/371461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alice_pike/pseuds/alice_pike
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>"You invited Roy Mustang to my welcome home dinner?" Ed asked him.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reintroduction

**Author's Note:**

> Mild crack. Pre-slash for the fmagiftexchange prompt _Roy/Al, unexpected_.

"Brother, look, it's just…you've been gone, for months longer than me and, well—"

"Spit it out, Al. It can't be _that_ bad."

Al just looked at him incredulously. He had a feeling that it was going to be every bit as bad as he was imagining. Ed had just got back from the west; Winry was in town to greet him; and _why_ hadn't Al given his brother more time to adjust before springing this on him? When Ed had told him to find a date for his welcome-back dinner in Central, 1) he was pretty sure Ed was kidding, and 2) _Roy_ had been Al's first thought, and for some ridiculous reason, Al had run with that.

And for some equally ridiculously reason, _so had Roy_.

Maybe Roy agreed because he thought it'd be hilarious, and being the fuhrer really was as dull as Ed and Al had always suspected it of being. Maybe Roy agreed because he thought it'd be dangerous, and he was just bored spending all of his time in various offices.

Whatever the reason, though, Al now had to tell Ed that he was showing up to dinner with _Roy Mustang_ , of all people (and probably a whole bunch of bodyguards, just to complicate things further. And maybe also Hawkeye, because she'd _definitely_ think it was hilarious). On the one hand, Al was sort of hoping that Ed reacted badly enough to the sheer fact of the matter that he didn't ask Al _why_ he'd invited Mustang. On the other hand, he really hoped Ed wouldn't react badly at all. (Yeah, right.)

Ed was still looking at him expectantly. Al sighed, and figured he might as well just get it over with.

"Roy's coming," Al told him, hoping that a straightforward approach would, what? Confuse Ed with its bluntness? Shock him into silence? Al didn't even know.

"What do you mean, 'Roy's coming'?" Ed asked, clearly confused, although anything but silent. "How did he find out about it?"

The horror in Al's chest grew. _Every bit as bad_ , yeah. He was going to have to spell this out for Ed, wasn't he?

"He didn't 'find out about it,' Brother," Al said, a little exasperated but trying to act like this wasn't a big deal. "I told him about it."

 _He's my date_ , Al didn't say, inwardly panicking.

Al waited. He could see Ed start to put the pieces together. Faster than Al would've liked, Ed's eyes widened in disbelief.

"You invited Roy Mustang to my welcome home dinner?" Ed asked him, doing what Al thought was a rather admirable job of staying calm.

"Yes," Al admitted, bracing himself for the outburst that was sure to come.

Except that it didn't.

"Are you seeing him?" Ed asked, like he was just mildly curious about it all.

Al had no idea whatsoever how to respond to that. He just stared at Ed, equal parts horrified and amazed. 

Ed looked unimpressed (eyebrow raised and everything). "Are you?" he repeated, when Al just _kept staring_.

"Uh, no," Al mumbled, after another few seconds. "No, we're not, I just—"

He just…what? Thought it'd be nice to see Roy? Thought _Ed_ would want to see Roy? Thought it'd be funny? Those were all pretty weak excuses, looking back on it. _You_ know _what_ , he told himself.

And Roy had said yes. But they weren't seeing each other; Al just…wanted them to be. That conclusion, although late, wasn't nearly as earth-shattering as he'd thought it would be.

Ed still looked unimpressed, but now with a hearty side of _smug_.

Al let out a breath, either in defeat or relief, he didn't know. "Why?" he finally asked, although he was asking about six different questions, _Why aren't you freaking out?_ maybe first among them.

The question made no sense, but Ed answered anyway. "Just gotta know if I need to congratulate him, is all," he said with a smile, reaching up and pulling Al into a headlock. 

_"Bro-ther,"_ Al complained, muffled in Ed's armpit, but he was smiling, too.


End file.
